Hillstone T-Series vs Zscaler Cloud Firewall comparison

Hillstone Networks and Zscaler are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Hillstone Networks is ranked #41, while Zscaler is ranked #27 with an average rating of 7.6. Hillstone Networks holds a 0.5% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Zscaler’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 66% of Hillstone Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Zscaler users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Hillstone T-Series and Zscaler Cloud Firewall are both competitive firewall solutions. Users are happier with the advanced features of Zscaler Cloud Firewall, making it seem superior, even though Hillstone T-Series rates better for support and pricing.

Features: Hillstone T-Series is noted for its robust threat detection, comprehensive security features, and detailed security. Zscaler Cloud Firewall stands out with its cloud-native architecture, seamless integration, and advanced features.

Room for Improvement: Hillstone T-Series users want a more intuitive management interface, enhanced reporting capabilities, and better offline functionality. Zscaler Cloud Firewall needs improved offline functionality, faster performance, and a less complex deployment process.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Hillstone T-Series has a straightforward deployment process and solid customer service support. Zscaler Cloud Firewall's deployment is flexible but complex, with highly rated customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Hillstone T-Series is cost-effective with a compelling ROI and lower setup costs. Zscaler Cloud Firewall, though more expensive, is considered worth the investment due to its advanced features and satisfactory ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Hillstone T-Series vs. Zscaler Cloud Firewall Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Hillstone T-Series vs. Zscaler Cloud Firewall

June 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 15.1%, down from 21.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Hillstone T-Series is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Cloud Firewall is 1.0%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	15.1%
Zscaler Cloud Firewall	1.0%
Hillstone T-Series	0.5%
Other	83.4%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Joseph Koomson

IP Network Security Specialist at MTN Ghana

Process-Level CPU Visibility: Introduce detailed CPU-usage metrics per subsystem (e.g., IPS engine, logging) so administrators can quickly identify and address performance spikes.

Analytics with FortiAnalyzer. Being able to pull in logs not just from our FortiGates but from all our other firewalls and then get them in one view has been a game changer. Whether I’m building an executive dashboard or doing a deep dive forensics session, I get everything I need without navigating consoles.Straightforward Application Control. FortiGate spots and blocks unwanted apps (eq. like BitTorrent or streaming services) with accuracy. Segmentation with VDOMs. We’ve carved our data center into four logical ‘mini-firewalls’ enterprise, core, billing, and WAF—all on one box. Each has its own rules and logs, and any traffic between them still gets inspected. It’s like having multiple appliances without the extra hardware. Always-Up-to-Date Threat Feeds. Daily signature updates and AI-driven threat sensing mean we’re blocking the latest vulnerabilities almost as soon as they’re announced.

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TahirMahmood

IT Manager at Zubair Feeds

Is stable and has a user-friendly dashboard and a good interface

We installed Hillstone T-Series after a ransomware attack. The dashboard and user interface are very good We cannot secure a specific IP class with this firewall. Another loophole with Hillstone T-Series is that when we connect through WiFi and turn our hot spot on, all who connect through the…

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Carlos Snel

Director at Aquila ICT Solutions

Has streamlined secure deployments across large enterprises while offering reliable protection and intuitive management

The centralized management console, also referred to as the Zscaler dashboard, impacts the ability of my customers to respond to security incidents significantly. I see it as user-friendly, and clients are really happy with using it, which motivates them to keep using Zscaler Cloud Firewall because they enjoy the GUI. It's very intuitive, making it easy to navigate alerts and incidents. My clients rarely have questions about where to find specific information once Zscaler Cloud Firewall is running. The interface speaks for itself, requiring little to no additional training, which is a major plus. Advanced threat protection features in Zscaler Cloud Firewall are practically the key component that every customer wants. Unfortunately, it is an option and not included in the basic package. Clients need to pay for the next higher bundle to access it, but practically all clients I have dealt with want this feature 100%. Regarding visibility, I can confirm that Zscaler Cloud Firewall indeed includes a feature for application layer visibility embedded in the service. It provides visibility into what you're doing, which is especially interesting nowadays when discussing AI tools, as companies do not want their employees to copy-paste sensitive information into AI systems. We have seen cases such as Samsung's chip design where sensitive info got exposed. The visibility of applications, including cloud applications and AI tools, is significant for compliance with data policies, and you can also run reports and alerts on it.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"All the features of Fortinet FortiGate are good; when customers have issues, it's very easy to talk them through the interface, and when they've got any support issues and they want to figure them out themselves, it's very easy for them to contact the FortiGate support."

"It is a one box solution, which covers most of the edge device’s requirements."

"The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with."

"The biggest lesson would be that Fortinet FortiGate provides a high level of security at a good total cost of ownership."

"FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) 's most valuable features are reporting and filtering."

"The best features of this tool include threat protection, email filtering, and web filtering, and FortiAnalyzer's integration with the firewall and FortiSASE is beneficial."

"Regionally, we are well covered. Technical support is good in this area."

"It has the same functionalities throughout the range of products."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"Hillstone supports IOT setup and detecting intrusions from IOT or CCTV connectivity, and with this solution, we can also detect unauthorized devices plugged into the CCTV network and sound the alarm to the administrator."

"It has been stable so far."

"We installed Hillstone T-Series after a ransomware attack. The dashboard and user interface are very good."

"The only firewall able to monitor traffic from a CCTV network. Can detect unauthorized devices plugged into the network, which standard firewalls can't do."

"We found some limitations with Fortinet FortiGate, and we are satisfied with Hillstone T-Series right now."

"Zscaler provides effective protection against various cyber threats ensuring a safe environment"

"Zscaler Cloud Firewall can be used for blocking all the malicious IPs, unauthorized IPs, unauthorized sites, and unsanctioned sites, such as when many users use PDF converters and can upload confidential data that we can detect and block."

"With regards to ease, with regards to scalability, with regards to performance and support, those are the kind of top features that I would always look at and I have had a great experience in general."

"The technical support from Zscaler was excellent."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"It is a stable solution."

"Zscaler is still a very good product."

"If malicious traffic attacks our on-premises servers, then it gets blocked by Zscaler Cloud Firewall."

More Zscaler Cloud Firewall pros

Cons

"The performance could be a bit better. Right now, I find it to be lacking. Having good performance is very important for our work."

"The configuration option availability is not 100% from the website of the FortiGate web management site."

"I think there could be more QoS features"

"At the moment, the main concern is the pricing and the type of licensing."

"The initial setup is complex."

"The web interface could be made better."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve by adding FortiAnalyzer to its solution, we should not have to use another solution. FortiAnalyzer can provide more detailed information."

"Their software support needs improvement. I would prefer to have better support for bug fixes. Sometimes, we open a ticket, and it is very difficult to get a solution. Specifically, we are not at all happy with their support for load balancing."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Another loophole with Hillstone T-Series is that when we connect through WiFi and turn our hot spot on, all who connect through the hotspot get all the functions, and the security does not work."

"They have a very good technical support team, but I think there are some communication issues due to language differences."

"Licensing is not cheap."

"Licensing is not cheap, but there are customers who will buy because they understand that this has a cost involved and they will cater their budget for that."

"It would be nice to have some sort of a form factor, a physical form factor perhaps, or virtual machine that you could install on devices or on a cloud, and have some cloud computing."

"The needed improvements involve scalability, which is something I wish they would address."

"There are several areas for improvement. Firstly, the GUI is outdated, with noticeable lags and delays, especially when generating reports for past transactions."

"There are some areas it could improve when it comes to blocking, we have to block some things manually."

"If I can get rid of Jetscaler, I will use Twingate for sure."

"One area for improvement lies in their customer service, which feels less ideal for a premium product. The response and support are sometimes inadequate, which detracts from the overall experience of an otherwise impressive solution."

"When it comes to customer support, there is room for improvement in Zscaler's service."

"Apart from the issues associated with the product in areas like the DC performance issues and DC failover, Zscaler Cloud Firewall's IP should not have a proxy IP."

More Zscaler Cloud Firewall cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If we have an older version, the support costs get quite high."

"Fortinet FortiGate's price can be reduced."

"The price of the license and warranty can be better because it is very expensive."

"The product is not very expensive."

"Its price is reasonable. They have a clear pricing policy. It is not complicated by the number of VPN users at a time. We know what the price is. The yearly subscription for the security license is rather high, but it is all included for whatever number of users you have and the kind of functions you need."

"The Fortinet FortiGate security features cost approximately $1,500 a year. The firewall itself doesn't have a recurring cost. It's the security features on top of that that you pay for."

"It is expensive. You need to pay for the subscription every year, which is very expensive. The subscription includes technical support and hardware exchange in case of failure."

"For the performance that we get, the price is reasonable. There are cheaper options, but they may not deliver the same kind of performance that we want. For the performance they provide, the price is acceptable."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"We got a much cheaper price than that provided by Fortinet right now."

"On a scale from one to ten, with one being low and ten being high price, I would rate the price of Hillstone T-Series at three. There are no additional costs other than renewal costs."

"The licensing is on a yearly basis. It is somewhere around 30 or 40 pounds per user for our organization."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

"It is expensive for small businesses."

"Zscaler is priced too high compared to the cost of Fortinet."

"It comes at a significantly reduced cost while ensuring control and effectiveness."

"There are licensing costs, and I would not say that it's a cheap vendor."

"The product is a bit expensive compared to the solutions offered by its competitors, like Palo Alto. There is a need to make yearly payments towards the license in charges associated with the product."

"There are different subscription models available."

More Zscaler Cloud Firewall pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

10%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Real Estate/Law Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Construction Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Marketing Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	369
Midsize Enterprise	139
Large Enterprise	195

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	13

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My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was fine.

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Hillstone T-Series

Compared 22% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Hillstone T-Series

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Hillstone T-Series

Compared 12% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Hillstone T-Series

Compared 7% of the time

Sangfor NGAF vs Hillstone T-Series

Compared 5% of the time

More Hillstone T-Series Competitors

Check Point Quantum Force vs Zscaler Cloud Firewall

Compared 18% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Zscaler Cloud Firewall

Compared 8% of the time

Azure Firewall vs Zscaler Cloud Firewall

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Multicloud Defense vs Zscaler Cloud Firewall

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual vs Zscaler Cloud Firewall

Compared 6% of the time

More Zscaler Cloud Firewall Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

June 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

May 2026

Download Hillstone T-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

Zscaler Cloud Firewall

June 2026

Download Zscaler Cloud Firewall product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Hillstone T-Series Intelligent Next-Generation Firewalls, Hillstone iNGFW

No data available

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

Hillstone T-Series offers a robust solution for high-performance network security, ideal for enterprises requiring reliable, scalable protection against advanced threats.

Designed for dynamic environments, Hillstone T-Series provides comprehensive insight and control across networks, safeguarding data and optimizing resource allocation. Its advanced threat prevention capabilities ensure that enterprises are equipped to handle evolving cybersecurity challenges. Built to integrate seamlessly, it enhances both operational efficiency and security posture.

What are the key features of Hillstone T-Series?

Advanced Threat Detection: Identifies and mitigates complex threats in real-time for enhanced network security.
Scalable Architecture: Easily adapts to growing network demands, ensuring long-term reliability.
Comprehensive Policy Management: Simplifies administration with intuitive controls for efficient policy enforcement.
High Performance: Delivers exceptional throughput and low latency, supporting demanding network environments.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating Hillstone T-Series?

Improved Security Posture: Strengthens defense mechanisms to mitigate risks effectively.
Resource Optimization: Allocates network resources effectively, enhancing operational productivity.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces expenses by streamlining security management processes.
Scalability: Ensures future-proofing with adaptable infrastructure to meet growing demands.

In finance, Hillstone T-Series efficiently handles high-volume transactions, ensuring secure and lightning-fast processing. Healthcare institutions benefit from its robust data protection, maintaining patient confidentiality while facilitating seamless information exchange. In manufacturing, it effectively manages and secures industrial control systems, promoting operational integrity.

Hillstone Networks

Zscaler Cloud Firewall enhances network security through seamless integration, configuration management, and comprehensive visibility. With real-time threat detection and centralized control, it provides exceptional protection without hardware investments.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall is designed for efficient network traffic management and secure internet access. It allows granular policy setting, blocking malicious IPs and domains, and access control. This cloud-based service offers smooth integration with security platforms, replacing traditional firewalls and VPNs to ensure data protection and network integrity. The intuitive dashboard facilitates policy enforcement, while advanced features like SSL inspection, URL filtering, and sandboxing add layers of security. Its cloud operation supports scalability and cost-effectiveness with an OpEx model.

What are the key features of Zscaler Cloud Firewall?

Seamless integration: Connects smoothly with existing security tools.
Intuitive dashboard: Simplifies policy enforcement and configuration.
Granular rule-setting: Allows detailed policy customization.
Real-time threat detection: Identifies and mitigates risks instantly.
Centralized control: Manages firewall settings from one location.

What benefits should users expect from Zscaler Cloud Firewall?

Cost savings: Operates fully in the cloud, eliminating hardware needs.
Scalability: Adjusts to business requirements without additional investments.
Enhanced security: Provides advanced SSL inspection and sandboxing.
Flexibility: Blocks malicious traffic and secures various devices.
Integration: Works with other platforms for comprehensive security.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall is widely used by organizations needing to secure network communications for remote and office environments. It facilitates policy implementation to block unauthorized access and is integral in protecting data and network operations across sectors like finance, healthcare, and technology. Its ability to integrate with other platforms supports a multifaceted security approach, ensuring extensive coverage and adaptability.

Zscaler

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

University of Córdoba

Zenith Live, Azure, Carlsberg Group

Buyer's Guide

Hillstone T-Series vs. Zscaler Cloud Firewall

June 2026

Free Report: Hillstone T-Series vs. Zscaler Cloud Firewall

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